Switzerland in January
 

Our 30th anniversary is in January. I selfishly have always taken my wife to warm spots, but she loves cold and snow. To surprise her, I have 2 frequent flyer tickets to Zurich in January. I need suggestions on where to go for the week we'll be there. We've been to Zurich and Lucerne before in summer. We are not skiers, but she would love a beautiful hotel or lodge with a roaring fire, mountains and snow. Someone suggested Wengen or Murren. Switzerland experts, please help me make this anniversary one she'll always remember. Thanks.

Does it absolutely HAVE to be up IN the Alps? If it does, understood but just wanted to be sure.

Gstaad is very pretty and you don't have to ski to enjoy it - you can wander around, relax in the cafes, take the scenic train to Montreux...

I like Wengen but...I'm not sure I'd recommend it for this trip. It's very sports oriented that time of year (people skiing and sledding right through town). You can't hike unless you are well prepared for steep, snowy hiking. But you can certainly take the trains around, I don't know whether she'd like to do that the whole time.

How about a spa hotel in eastern Switzerland - Scuol, for example?

And while there is no shortage of places to fit the bill in Switzerland, from Zurich it's also no problem to pick a spot over the border in Germany or Austria. You could even go as far as Salzburg (a little over 5 hours on the direct train that leaves at 10:40 am).

Wherever you decide, have a wonderful anniversary!

No, it doesn't absolutely have to be up in the alps. I welcome your suggestions.

Hi stonesc,

I second the idea of Gstaad. Because the rich and famous have been visiting and living there since the 1950s, it has an enormous number of spas and 5-star hotels, gourmet restaurants, upscale shops, etc. That doesn't mean that you have to shell out big bucks to enjoy it, however; I know of one 4-star hotel and one 3-star hotel that are well within most budgets, and both are centrally located.

Gstaad has wonderful walking trails, and both of the hotels I have in mind offer "Winter Walking Weeks" where a guide takes a group of walkers up into the hills for a day's walk, usually around two - three hours. But if you don't want to walk, you can take a number of fun excursions -- Gruyeres for the cheese factory, Broc for the chocolate factory, Lake Thun on the east to see the big Alps, Lake Geneva to the west to see the Swiss Belle Epoque lifestyle.

Alternately, yes, I also think that Wengen would be a fine spot. You can spend the days exploring the other mountain villages, or go down to the lakes and explore the lakeside villages and a few castles on Lake Thun. You may be interested to know that there is a world-class ski race in Wengen in mid-January, so if you don't already have a hotel room, you may not find anything available. But if you can get a room, I think that would be a fun atmosphere to be around. Grindelwald also has a big snow-sculpting competition around the same time.

More information:

www.myjungfrau.ch
www.gstaad.ch

Have fun!

s

Swandav2000, would you please share with me your 4 star and 3 hotel recommendations for Gstaad? Thanks for your help.

What a nice idea you have! Switzerland in winter is, IMO, even more beautiful than in summer, and as you know, summer is really darn gorgeous. So imagine winter! Here are my thoughts and suggestions:

1. As you are not downhill skiers, it may be preferable to stay somewhere which is not primarily a winter ski destination. Prices in January at ski resorts will be high, and getting bookings now may be difficult. The first place that leaps to my mind is Guarda, IMO the most beautiful village in Switzerland. It is car-free and absolutely charming. It has many painted/scraffito houses, which are hard to find in Switzerland. There are nearby downhill ski areas if you want them (Scuol is the nearest), but as it has no ski slopes above the town, Guarda is not overwhelmed with skiers which can be the case elsewhere. You can visit little castles like in Scuol (mentioned above), and also make a day trip to St Moritz (1 hour by train) to see the rich and famous. It would be quite feasible to do the glacier portion of the Bernina Express from here as a day trip (catch it in St Moritz to Tirano and then return), which would be very scenic and interesting, IMO. see http://www.rhb.ch/. Or for a shorter trip, go in the other direction from St Moritz or Sameden and wind down the lovely valley to Fillisur, one of the best train rides in Switzerland, IMO (the Landwasser viaduct is here). There is a long sledge run (like a sled) between Preda and Bergun, about 5 miles or so as it winds down the valley, next to and underneath the train tracks at points. It is also lit at night for night sledging. (Fillisur and Preda could also be considered for you as a place to stay, as they are not ski towns.) Back in Guarda, there are horse-drawn sleigh rides and very good cross-country or snowshoeing, there is in fact a huge national park nearby with tens of miles of packed trails. For hotels, look no further than the Hotel Meisser www.hotel-meisser.ch. A week in that area is my idea of heaven.

St Moritz would also work, this is a heavy ski town in winter and so prices will be up and hotels booked out. I actually probably would prefer Silvaplana or Cerelina to if you wanted to be nearer to St Moritz. But IMO none of them have the charm of Guarda.

2. Wengen hosts the men’s world cup for the downhill every year. In 2011 it is Jan 14-16. This is a complete and utter hoot to attend, and if you are interested in downhill (or even if not), and if it is taking place during your visit, then by all means try to go. There are brass bands, cowbell bands, Swiss horn bands, yodelers, and the Swiss Air force does an aerial demonstration and fly-by (usually on Saturday afternoon). You can get quite close to the skiers as they throw themselves down the hill and big screens are all over town to catch the action. It really is a party atmosphere. I used to go and tell people I was Bode Miller’s aunt (how can this be disproved?!) and got a lot of mileage out of that one… At other times in winter, Wengen is a charming town with absolutely stunning views; however I agree that if you don’t downhill you options are perhaps more limited as it is a small town. There is the train up the Jungfrau and some very nice winter walking (or snowshoeing). Curling and ice skating are possible as well as sledging. But cross-country and sleigh rides would have be down in the valley, a lovely 25-minute train ride down the mountain. The other great thing about Wengen is the lovely Caprice hotel. Small, charming, great food and atmosphere. The Beausite Park could also be a very good choice, this is further out of town and as a non-skier you may prefer this. They also have an indoor pool, I think the only place in Wengen which does, see http://www.parkwengen.ch. I don’t like Murren as much, and there is less to do there for a non-skier as the town is very small. Hotels are not as good as well. I feel the same way about Lauterbrunen. Grindlewald may work for non-skiers, again I don’t like the hotels there are much, but it is a good size place and may be a good choice for non-skiers in terms of other activities.

3. I would have to put in a vote for Seas Fee and the incredible Waldhotel Fletschhorn, see http://www.fletschhorn.ch/. Fantastic food (it is in Patricia Schultz’s book; you can take cooking lessons as well) and a setting on its own in the woods. Again, this is a ski town, but as the hotel is set outside the town, you don’t feel it is that present, and the downtown area (car-free) is very charming and offers more shopping than most ski towns. You can do some dog sledding outside town (short runs) as well as winter walking; and you can also cross-country on packed trails down in the valley. You can take an easy day trip by bus and train to see Zermatt and the Matterhorn (about 1.5 hours each way, very scenic trip, stay for sunset behind the mountain.).

4. Zermatt may also be a good choice. This is a much larger town than Guarda or Saas Fee, and is very dedicated to skiing, but waking up each morning and seeing the Matterhorn can make up for a lot. You can also take cable car rides to various areas like the Klein Matterhorn, the incline railway to others, the underground railway to others, and then walk to places like Chez Vrony for lunch for an outdoor table, fondue and a Matterhorn view, all with a crisp white wine. The utterly charming Romantik Hotel Julen (go to www.zermatt.ch/julen) would be a good hotel choice (try the top floor junior suites, Room 404 has two balconies). Another possibility is the Coeur Des Alpes. This is located near the lift for the Klein Matterhorn so is far enough out of town to be away from noise. Take a look at http://www.coeurdesalpes.ch. I love the Rifflealp 2222m (www.zermatt.ch/riffelalp or http://www.seilerhotels.ch) but if you are not a skier this location may not be as good; however the hotel is superb and offers terrific views.

5. A place like Appenzell may also be a good choice, as it is not a ski area at all, just lovely rolling countryside that will be in deep snow in January with mountains in the background. You can do walks, cross-country or snowshoe, etc. I don’t have a hotel recco, but try Karen Brown or the romantik hotel chain.

6. Finally, you could consider something in the far southeast, in the Grissons (Romansch-speaking) area. Mustair would be one place to consider. In addition to natural beauty, there are some great sites like the Benedictine Convent of St John. This is not touristed at all really by US tourists. I don’t have hotel reccos, as I have only done this in the summer as a day trip from Zurich, but I am sure you can find some.

Hi again,

Sure!

My picks are the 4-star Gstaaderhof (www.gstaaderhof.ch), where I spent a week this past July. Looks like a double room in January is 128 chf per person. I really cannot tell you why the rooms are so inexpensive for this hotel -- the decor is charming, and the service is excellent. The hotel is not right IN the pedestrian zone, though; it's about a five-minute walk to the start of it.

And the Posthotel Rössli (www.posthotelroessli.ch), where a double in January looks like it is 268 chf for two. The rooms look like they are pretty basic here though the hotel is right IN the pedestrian zone.

Another option:
3-star Sport Hotel Victoria, double for 200-260 chf for two.

Hope you find a good spot!

s

Another option is the Alpine Lodge, an inn in Saanen, the village next door to Gstaad. They've renovated their spa area (set to reopen next month). In addition to a lounge with a fireplace, you can also get a room with a fireplace.

I love Gstaad, but I like Saanen a lot too. The lodge is a laid-back, casual place, and very welcoming.

http://www.alpinelodge.ch/

To the OP, have you had your trip yet? And as another snow-lover, I can't wait for this unseasonable warm spell (double digit highs all last week! :-( ). I hope the cold and snow come back soon...